Rescue, Recover, Resist
by FlyHighGirl
Summary: Constantinople. Yusuf is nowhere to be found. A zip line is broken. Guards are on high alert. What are they hiding? Is Yusuf hurt? And if so, can he sit still long enough to recover? That last one is probably a no, knowing that clown.
1. Chapter 1

"Mentor! Mentor!" A handful of young Ottoman recruits rushed towards Ezio, who had just walked into the den after a long mission and was really not in the mood for their childish actions, especially this late at night. He pulled his hood off and pinched the bridge of his nose, a sign to tell them this was not the time. He waved them off and tried to leave the room, but a young female recruit (whose name he had yet to learn) grabbed onto his sleeve and hung on for dear life. Ezio sighed, shaking her off. Where were the high level recruits? He looked the group over, taking note of something suddenly.

"Didn't you all leave on a patrol mission with Yusuf? Where is he?" _it's his turn to babysit_, Ezio thought. These were recruits Yusuf took a liking to, thought they were easier to train because they needed someone to trust.

He saw some recruits look away, tears in their eyes. He too began to grow worried. "What? what happened?" The young woman gripped his hand this time.

"Mentor...we were on a mission and he said he'd meet us back here...but he didn't show up...we looked all over but we didn't find anything! All the other recruits are on missions out of the city, so we've been alone here trying to plan out where he might be." She leaned into him. "Please...we don't know what else to do."

Ezio slowly put his arm around her, the others awing at how calm he was acting. But inside he was panicing.

Where was he? What could have happened? This wasn't like him. "When did you return to the hideout?"

"About two hours ago." Someone called from the small group.

If this was a prank, it was going a bit far. He let go of the young woman, who walked slowly back into the open armed group.

"Alright. All of you, stay here. Maybe he'll come back. I'm going out to look. In a few moments the master assassins will come back-tell them what you told me. They'll be out across the city in no time." A few of them gave him a nod. Others were truly ashamed and upset and gave no response. He offered them a smile.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine. How far could he have gone?"

Ezio left their base, and sure enough there were three higher level recruits outside the door. They tried to tell Ezio about their success, but he interuppted and informed them of their new task. They set out immediately.

Ezio combed the rooftops of the area where the patrol had been. He jumped from one rooftop to the next, using any zipline he could; until he stopped.

One zipline was not present. He looked to the post where the rope would be tied to-it had been cut. With a knife, maybe. Ezio looked over to the other side of the roof. Had he fallen? Probably. Was he still there? No, not by the look of it. He peered across to the opposite rooftop, using Eagle Sense. Was that...blood? His eyes widened. It was only a bit, but yes, there was blood. Without another thought he whistled. Withing minutes his recruits appeared.

"Span out! At this point Yusuf could be anywhere in the city!" They nodded and left.

Ezio decided to go the farthest._ To the docks, maybe?_ Really, how far could he have been taken?

To his dismay there were three Janissaries standing by the dock prisons, where they kept drunkards and petty thieves. But why would such strong guards be placed here? He decided not to take any chances. He raised his fist and clenched it, whistling. Arrows came swooping down and they were all taken out at once. Innocent bystanders screamed and ran. Whoever was in there was out in plain sight now.

He didn't want to believe it, but there he was. Sitting in a corner, not moving a muscle. Ezio tensed, quickly dropping to the ground and rushing over to him. He practically broke the lock trying to pick it. It dropped with a _clank_. Shoving the door aside he ran in, dropping to his knees.

"Yusuf. Yusuf, get up." He jostled his friend's shoudlers. Nothing. He was out cold. Ezio carefully opened one of his closed eyes. He didn't like what he found. Yusuf had a glassy look, unfocused-probably from when he landed on the street, or maybe hit in the head with something.

Ezio remembered the blood spot on the roof, and where that had come from was clear-Yusuf had a bloody nose. He deduced that the line had been cut when he was nearing the other roof and going quite fast. He looked down to undo the ropes around his ankles and found both hands rested on his leg.

_Al diavolo, he probably broke it. _He cut the ropes on Yusuf's wrists and gingerly picked him up. He whistled as best he could without the help of his hand, recruits appearing almost out of nowhere. They tried not to look worried when they saw Yusuf in their mentor's arms.

"Scout ahead. I need the path to be clear. One of you run and get a doctor-tell him to come back to the den." He shifted Yusuf in his arms. "It's urgent." And off they went.


	2. Chapter 2

About halfway back home, Yusuf came to. He groaned, vision fuzzy, not clearly understanding why he was bouncing slightly when he couldn't feel the cobblestone beneath his feet. He looked up. The half moon cast a glow on the older man carrying him, who looked down for a moment, then back up. He mumbled something Yusuf couldn't quite understand. He blacked out again, resting his head against the man. He had seen just enough of his face to know he was one of them, an assassin. Someone he could trust.

The next thing Yusuf heard was some shouting and relieved voices. He could barely see anything now, but he figured he was probably too exhausted to even open his eyes properly. The large calloused hand on the back of his head left its place, replaced by a cushion. The surface underneath him was...familiar. It creaked a little when his body was placed fully on it. Through his dazed mind he realized he was home, home among the assassins, but why he was lying on the creaky old table in the main hall, he wasn't sure. He tried to get up, but his own efforts proved useless. A spiking pain came back to him, particullarly in his leg. Why was that again?

A figure hovered over him. It was probably the man who had brought him back, but honestly at this point he couldn't tell. He took a wild guess.

"Ishak...?" The figure chuckled softly, shaking what he assumed was his head. Another dark figure joined him. They talked for a bit while others ran around behind them. The second figure leaned closer, still talking about something he couldn't understand. He was out of Yusuf's point of view when his eyes began to adjust. Ezio stood over him, a few younger recruits crowding behind him. Yusuf gave the group a smile, exciting the recruits, even getting a smile out of the old man. Poor children, he probably worried them so much. He felt awful.

Yusuf felt two hands grip his hurting leg, and in a split second there was a crack, silencing the busy hall. Not only did he hear it, he _felt _it. His head dropped to the side as he blacked out again.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a fire crackling, but otherwise complete silence. Yusuf moaned, draping an arm over his eyes. He heard a few whispering voices around him, and curious he removed his cover, eyes in full focus and sparkling like they always had. He found his young patrol team surronding him. He smiled at them, sitting up with little effort. His ribs ached and he winced. At the sound he made the younger ones leaned in closer, concerned. Yusuf waved his hand, laughing at them. They joined in, his laughter infectious. His recuits babbled on about him, how they never gave up looking, but honestly lost hope. He told them they did everthing right. They beamed. He was proud.

"Alright, that's enough. All of you get some rest." A familiar voice sounded. Their mentor. The recruits sighed, all getting up except for one-the young woman Ezio spoke with. She hung back to hug Yusuf, grateful he was alright. She got up to join the group. "Iyi geceler, Ayla." He called.

Ezio came closer and crouched by the table when they dispersed. Yusuf sat forward a bit more, rubbing his tired eyes. Everything hurt. "How are you feeling, Yusuf?" Yusuf laughed.

"Better, I suppose. I don't really remember anything though. Why am I even on a table?" He looked down. The table was draped in a thin tapestry. He also had a blanket on, but it drooped into his lap from the way he sat. He got sudden chills. He turned his eyes down at himself-all he wore were his pants, undershirt, and of course his headband. He turned back to Ezio.

"What exactly happened, _kardeshim_?"

"You...don't remember?" Yusuf shook his head.

"Not a thing."

"Hm...perhaps I should explain. How about in a more comfortable bed, though?" Before Yusuf could give an answer, he was up and in Ezio's arms. He struggled to free himself from his smirking friend.

"Eh! Put me down!"

"I would, but I don't think you are capable of walking on your own." Yusuf gravely looked up at him.

"_Afedersiniz_?"

"Hold on."

Ezio pushed the door to Yusuf's personal bedroom open. He walked over to the bed and dropped Yusuf onto it. He meant it as a joke, but Yusuf's hiss of pain told him otherwise.

"Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah..." He positioned himself carefully on the edge of his bed, eyes locked on Ezio the entire time. "Now then. What happened?"

Ezio sighed, pulling up a chair and removing his hood. He began retelling the story, how he weant missing, where he found him, the fuss they had made when Ezio brought him in, a doctor right behind him.

"And then?" Another sigh.

"To put it simply, you broke your leg and a few ribs." Yusuf remembered the cracking sound. "Ah. I see." He looked down at his leg, a splint wrapped in clean white bandages on it. He sat back, resting against a propped up pillow. "I remember the doctor..._resetting _the bone."

"Forgive me, Yusuf. I thought you were out cold." Yusuf shrugged.

"Eh, it needed to be done. No harm."

"Do you remember anything before that?" Yusuf pulled one knee to his chest, draping his arm over it.

"I don't know...maybe?" He knawed on his knuckles thoughtfully. Ezio leaned forward, waiting. Suddenly something in Yusuf's mind clicked. He stopped knawing and cupped his face. "_Nasıl bu kadar aptalca olabilir?_"

"What? What is it?"

"I was being chased. I was toying with them, testing myself as well. I didn't realize they cut the zipline. I was so close to the other rooftop, I could've made it..." He sighed, annoyed. "I remember slamming into the front of the roof, holding on as best I could."

"That explains your broken ribs." Ezio pointed out, holding back a taunting smile. Yusuf made a face.

"_Biliyorum_. There was a warmth I felt under my nose too. I was bleeding, wasn't I?" Ezio nodded. "Great. Lets see...I looked up, and saw a guard smirking at me. He crushed my fingers and I fell." Yusuf stopped a moment to clench and unclench his fingers, making sure they still worked.

"And?"

Yusuf scratched his head, still thinking. "And...they brought me to the docks, I tried to run, but..." He stopped, gripping his chest. A different pain came back just through memories.

"You don't have to tell me, Yusuf. But it'd help. I have no idea why they'd bring you all the way out to the docks. Or why they bothered to imprison you. I'm just looking for something to go on. They wouldn't take you without reason."

"I know. It doesn't make sense." He pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing his eyes. "When I woke up, the group parted and I had a chance to escape. I didn't know they opened the barred doors behind me...I really didn't have any strength. They laughed and kicked me in. Pretty hard too. I must've hit my head on the bars because after that, I don't remember anything." Ezio paused, letting his friend's story sink in.

"Özr dilerim, Yusuf." Yusuf looked up at him, eyes bright, smiling. He mockingly laughed at the man.

"'Öz_ü_r dilerim', Ezio. You missed one letter. I'm afraid you really don't know my language at all!" Ezio smiled at him, glad to see him acting so happily again.

"Why, of course I do!"

"Oh? How about this then: _'Ezio yaşıyorum ve ben herhangi bir türk anlayamıyorum'_!" Ezio stared blankly.

"I...heard my name." Yusuf roared with laughter. "Of course."

"Well what _did_ you say?" Yusuf wagged a finger.

"Ah ah ah, brush up on your Turkish first. Then get back to me." Ezio sat back, smiling. He stood to move the chair back to it's place, taking a moment to playfully shove Yusuf aside. Yusuf affixed himself in bed, quickly finding a comfortable position to sleep on. Ezio left for the door to leave him in quiet to recover, but stopped short.

"Rest well, Yusuf. And don't think about getting up and walking around."

"Oh? Why not?" There was interest in his voice. If this was a challenge, he already accepted it.

"Yusuf, really. If you want to heal, stay in bed. Don't make me get that, um, _hekim_ back in here."

"Alright, alright. Fine."

"_Iyi geceler_." A pause, silence heavy in the room.

"Ezio?"

"Hm." There was the sound of covers shifting about.

"...Thank you." Ezio smiled.

"_Beninteso_."

"What?"

"Exactly." The door shut.

**A/N; Alright, that's all for now! I don't really know where to go from here, so bear with me. It probably wont take long, though.**


	4. Chapter 4

Sleep wasn't as easy to come by as he thought it was. Every move he made disturbed his aching bones. He sat up, rubbing his tired face, wondering what time it was. His body was sore, he needed to move.

Yusuf didn't quite understand what the big deal was. Maybe things were different in Italy, but on the streets of Istanbul, if you broke something, you either walked it off or you bought it. It seemed to work for him and his thieving friends. If they were on their feet long enough, everything would heal on it's own. Yusuf didn't recall breaking many bones, but he was hit in the head a few hundred times. That wasn't really a big problem either, though.

He shifted about. It was eerily quiet in his room. Yusuf noticed then his throat was a little scratchy.

Water. He needed water. To get it, he had to get up. That was a justified reason, right? Right. He moved off the bed, stood up, and almost fell. Shifting his weight backwards, he fell back on his bed instead of the floor. No sense in another bloody nose. Walking was going to be harder than he realized. The splint was very...restricting. Yusuf took a quick look around the room for something to lean on. Nothing. He figured, if anything, he could use the wall as support. He leant over, gripping his bedpost, and stood. He reached for the wall with one hand, but his fingers didn't even graze it. A new idea came to mind. He stepped back a bit, still holding on, and pounced for the wall. He landed with a thud against the stone. He made it! Relieved, he worked his way towards the door.

Yusuf stumbled into the main hall. No one was around, the fire was out-just as eerie as his room. Was everything like this at night? At least the old man had gone to bed. He was no child, but Yusuf figured he'd be in as much trouble as one if he was caught. Ezio would never let him live it down either. He shook the thought off and worked his way to the kitchen.

It was hidden away, mostly for training purposes-if a novice was hungry, they were required to search high and low for it. Kind of like a mouse in a maze. It was very entertaining to the older recruits. Thankfully Yusuf lived in the den long enough to know where everything was.

He searched around in the dark room-it was probably best not to light any torches, in case someone was awake. If he heard anything, he could run and take cover somewhere, but from the light he saw in the library, it was probably about one in the morning. No one would be up.

Finally he found a jug of water. For a moment Yusuf considered bringing it back to his room, but that would leave evidence that he was up. Instead he chugged it.

But there was a sudden feeling in him. Like he was being watched. Quietly he set the jug back down, reaching for a butcher's knife. The shadow came closer. Without turning to see who it was he lashed out, hoping the knife would make contact with something.

It didn't.

The shadow grabbed his arm, anticipating his attack. He fought against the grip-no use. He couldn't make out any features on the shadow. It moved it's other arm and placed something on the table behind Yusuf. A lantern? He couldn't see exactly, but it was bright with a warm glow. He knew he'd get a better look at his assailant now. He gasped.

"Ezio?" The older man smiled at him, but Yusuf could see annoyance on his face. He released his grip and Yusuf replaced the knife, slowly. He turned back to Ezio, letting out a meek, innocent laugh. Ezio was none to impressed, crossing his arms.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Yusuf leaned against the table.

"I should be asking you the same thing, _kardeshim_." By now Yusuf could see clearer into his friend's eyes. Something wasn't quite right. A fear of some sort was hidden in those hazel-golden eyes. He looked more tired than usual. A mix of emotions, none of them good. Yusuf was about to ask when Ezio cut him off.

"Save it. Off to bed with you." Yusuf was annoyed, hiding his deep desire to start an argument. He saw this coming. Ezio _was _going to treat him like a five year old. Not exactly fitting for a highly regarded master assassin. When he didn't make a move Ezio pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

"_Now_. Or shall I carry you again?" That was a warning. Yusuf limped off with a scoff, falling to the wall when he needed to.

He plopped himself down onto his bed, settling in. He laid there, staring at the ceiling. A smirk came slowly to his face.

If he was going to be held up in the den for who knows how long, he might as well make it interesting. A little game to play with that old fart.

If Ezio wanted a challenge, Yusuf was more than willing to provide one.

**A/N - Hey guys, I'm at a serious loss for words now. If you have any suggestions or inspiring words, PM me at any time. I probably wont be working on this for a few days, but anything will help to get the ball rolling!**


	5. Chapter 5

The days following Yusuf's recovery were nothing but bliss for him. He left his room frequently, to supervise training, mingle with the recruits, maybe climb a building or two. But, at the same time he knew better than to jump across rooftops and start fights with Janissaries - he was strong, but not _that _strong, at least not yet. The guards were probably still looking for him too, and he'd rather not be beaten and dragged back to the docks only to have Ezio come and get him again. If Ezio had to come to his rescue a second time the old man would make sure he'd never leave his room. Thankfully Ezio was busy most of the time, looking for the keys to that library and flirting with that Venetian woman. But when he did come back to the den, he came at the worst times. Like that afternoon, to be precise.

Yusuf convinced some of his older recruits to practice climbing with him. It took a while but they had to agree when Yusuf promised to teach them advanced bomb crafting when he was healed. They helped him up the first few blocks, but he really had no trouble. They climbed the outside of the den.

It was a warm spring afternoon, a pleasant breeze coming in from the east. Yusuf gripped each brick with little trouble - his bones ached, his head pounded, but above all he was just happy to be outside. A window was not enough. He stopped for a moment to enjoy the breeze whistling through his matted hair, the wind waving the tail of his headband in front of his face. He smiled to himself. _This_ was how he would heal, out in the open of an early spring afternoon.

"Master! Up here, it's so clear today!" someone from the small group called. Everyone had made it to the top of the den except for him. He looked up, shaken from his thoughts, and saw someone offering him their hand. He hauled himself up further, gripping the recruit's hand. He was pulled up instantly, his good leg finding the smooth stone of the rooftop when someone whistled. Yusuf and the recruit froze. That was a specific whistle, one they agreed on in case of trouble before they began climbing. And sure enough, there was trouble.

Ezio waved his hand, indicating to the recruits to leave him and Yusuf alone. Regretably, they left, like children leaving their best friend to be scolded for not doing anything wrong. The roof suddenly seemed much colder. Ezio tilted his head to one side. "Fancy seeing you out and about. I could have sworn you had a broken leg and ribs."

Yusuf, eyes locked on Ezio, took a deep breath to clear his mind. He didn't want to say anything he'd regret.

"Ezio, I'm not going to get any better by being stuck in bed all day. I need to walk around, climb small buildings-that was how it worked for me growing up! And look how I turned out." Ezio never stopped smiling.

"Well, things were a bit different for _me_ growing up. Rest did a lot more than pushing myself to a limit I could never hope to reach."

"Don't treat me like a child, Ezio. I can take care of myself. I think I know what's best to heal my own wounds." Ezio didn't seem convinced.

"Oh, do you?"

"Yes, I _do_."

"So if I pushed you off this roof, you'd land completely unharmed?" Yusuf did a double take. Would he really do it?

Ezio saw how surpirsed he was. He pushed further. "By the sound of it, you're almost completely healed. Not to mention you climbed this building on your own. So one little drop wouldn't do much harm, now would it?"

Yusuf took a step forward. Big mistake. So did the old man.

"Now hold on just a minute-"

"Oh, no no, I understand. You don't need to explain any further to me." Ezio took a running start. Yusuf held out his hands to block him, hoping to push his weight towards Ezio and keep himself from falling.

Ezio collided with unexpected force. There was a rush of cool air as Yusuf felt gravity take over. He fell onto some pillows on the ground, barely cushioning his landing. His leg landed unnaturally on the stone. He gripped it, gritting his teeth, holding back a cry of pain-all in a vain attempt to prove Ezio wrong. He didn't dare open his eyes. He heard a _thud_ in front of him, leather boots scratching the stone as they walked over to him.

"Are you hurt?" There was a smile in the man's voice.

Yusuf opened one eye and looked up, still in pain. "_No_."

"Of course not." Ezio bent down and picked him up again, draping the younger man over one shoulder. He tried avoiding his ribs at all costs, but the leather guard on Ezio's shoulder acted as a nice little punch in the stomach to Yusuf regardless. He struggled in protest, but his body felt too weak for a fight and he gave up easily. Ezio turned around and opened the door to the den. Yusuf got a clear view of the confused look on passers by. When inside the den, he heard young recruits giggling at the strange sight.

Back in his room, door closed, he suddenly regained his strength and proceeded to try and kick Ezio in the stomach, completely bent on revenge. He was dropped again-apparently he handn't landed a single blow-his bed bouncing under his weight. Without a second given to utter another word, Ezio tossed his sheets on top of him and trotted to the door.

"Rest. _Now_." Ezio left, and by the sound of it, had propped something up against the other side of the door to keep him from leaving. Yusuf angrily tossed his blankets in the air, shouting every Turkish curse he knew. Ezio wasn't going to get away with this!

* * *

><p>"Are you certain, Yusuf?"<p>

"Absolutely! Now hush, here he comes..."

Yusuf and a young recruit from his patrol team, Evren, sat high above the rafters of the den, unseen by all who passed underneath. Yusuf was sitting next to Evren, so not to disturb his still broken leg. Both had stink bombs in hand. Ezio came in and sat at a table, alone with one of Niccolo Polo's journals. Yusuf started the countdown in a whisper.

"Alright..._üç...iki...bir!_" They threw their bombs down at the old Italian, taking him completely by surprise. He tossed the book aside, throwing his hood off. He looked up, scowling at the two Turks in the rafters.

"Yusuf! Evren! Get down here!" Laughing, the two descended their perch. The entire room stunk, but oh was it worth it! Yusuf, still laughing, managed to speak.

"The look on your face, Ezio!" Ezio looked like he was ready to kill the both of them. Evren was first to catch his piercing look and stopped laughing, punching Yusuf in the shoulder to alert him that their game was done. They exchanged glances, quickly making plans to escape. Ezio caught their looks.

"Don't think you two are getting away with this. Evren, I expect this whole place to be cleaned by sundown. As for you..." Evren and Yusuf looked at eachother again, turned and dashed away. Ezio caught up surprisingly fast, taking the limping Yusuf as his first prisoner, gripping the back of his shirt. When caught, Evren begged.

"Mentor, relax. We were only having some fun. You can't expect us to keep Yusuf locked up with no entertainment!"

This was why Yusuf liked this boy. He was willing to engage with Yusuf in his pranks, and understood well that rest was not an option. Ezio let go of the two assassins. He sighed.

"Very well. Evren, go clean this place, you will not be punished further." Ezio turned to Yusuf, tapping his foot. "And Yusuf..." He tilted his head to the direction of Yusuf's room.

"Ah, you're no fun, Ezio." Before they left Ezio clapped Yusuf's shoulder, holding him back a minute. Evren hung back as well, both looking curiously at Ezio.

"I never said _your _punishment, Yusuf."

"What are you-" Smirking, Ezio reached over and tugged at Yusuf's ear, pulling him in the direction of his room. Evren covered his mouth, holding back his laughter. Yusuf skidded along as he was dragged to his room, flailing and cursing again. This time, Ezio opened the door and simply tossed him inside, letting go at the last second. He thudded into his bed.

"Ezio!" He cried, rubbing at his ear. Ezio didn't say a word, still smiling, and left.

* * *

><p>Yusuf was surprised to find Ezio standing in his room, holding a plate of some sort. He rubbed at his eyes, just waking up from a nap. Was it dinner already? Ezio pulled a table over to his bedside, setting the plate on it. Yusuf sat up, eyeing the Sujuk in front of him in delight. He reached out for it when he stopped.<p>

"Why did _you_ bring this to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Save it, Ezio. I know you're still angry about that little prank earlier today. What did you put in this?"

"What? Nothing! I did nothing to it. Between you and me, I can't cook for my life." Yusuf gave him a condescending look.

"Ezio, this is a very spicy dish. It can be done three ways-too spicy, not enough, or to perfection." Ezio made his way to the door.

"Fine. Believe what you will. But sooner or later you'll starve if you don't eat. It's your choice." He left. Yusuf looked at the food in front of him-it was tempting. And he _was _hungry...against his better judgement he picked up the plate, taking one bite. Almost immediately he placed the plate back on the table, hacking and coughing. His throat was on fire! What in the world was in that food? From the other side of the door he heard Ezio chuckling-he hadn't closed the door all the way, he had been watching the whole time. He pushed the door open, smiling. Yusuf growled at him, rubbing tears from his eyes.

"Don't say anything-I get it." Ezio produced a bucket of cold water from behind him. Yusuf held out his hands to take his drink-Ezio had other ideas. He tossed the water at him, drenching the bright eyed Turk. Yusuf stared daggers at the laughing old man, who left briefly and came back with a cup of water instead, suddenly deciding to be the good guy. He left before Yusuf could get a word in, giving his own instead:

"I think it's fair to say we're even, no?" The door clicked as it closed. Yusuf downed his glass and got up to get dry clothes.

"Oh, we're far from even, old man..." He muttered to himself.

* * *

><p>So the pranks continued. Trip wire bombs, spiked drinks - Yusuf had even gone as far as stealing his clothes while he was bathing one morning (never before had Ezio realized how cold the den could be). What was worse was that Yusuf seemed to convince <em>all<em> the recruits to turn on their Italian mentor every day to help him in his annoying little pranks. Ezio couldn't count the many times he'd thrown Yusuf back into his bedroom, only to have him sneak out again. He was behaving like a child! It's not like Ezio didn't understand he needed some fun right now to keep him from going insane, but at this rate he'd probably never walk again.  
>Ezio would never admit how worried he was. As much as he hated his constant antics, Yusuf was his friend. Almost like a brother to him. If anything happened to him, he'd feel completely responsible.<p>

He was no doctor, but the one that treated Yusuf came back to check on him and informed Ezio quietly that nothing was healing. He 'might never be useful as an assassin', he said. That was only a few days ago, and it seemed like nothing Ezio did could keep Yusuf in that bed of his. The more time he spent in the den, the more his spirits rose, and the more his spirits rose, the more he wanted to run and jump around.

Of course the recruits who didn't engage with Yusuf and the others had no problem with the pranks. They were of higher standing and needed a break every once in a while, and if that meant their mentor would unknowingly set off a blood bomb and cover himself in the sticky dark red substance, they were okay with it. It seemed the entire assassin branch had turned on him, all to entertain Yusuf.

Enough was enough. One way or another, Yusuf was going to stay in bed - Ezio would be sure of that.

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! Hope you guys enjoy this one!**


	6. Chapter 6

It was late the following night. Another nightmare jolted Ezio awake, and since it was so quiet that night (besides the patter of a light rain outside) he figured he should catch up on some reading. It was only a few hours before sunrise anyway. Just before entering the library he detoured to Yusuf's room.

The door creaked slightly as Ezio gently pushed it open. He peeked in, eyeing the peacefully sleeping Yusuf who was covered in his be dsheets. Ezio walked in quietly. Curious, though he knew he shouldn't, he picked up the sheet to look at him. His jaw dropped.

There was nothing there but a pile of pillows.

"_Saldırı gizlice!_"A voice shouted from behind. Ezio whipped around, only to be knocked off his feet by Yusuf performing a hook and run move. Yusuf landed safely back in bed, laughing as Ezio regained his balance.

"Where did you even find your hookblade?" Ezio had made certain to hide Yusuf's assassin robes and weapons before he had come to, leaving him in nothing but his undershirt and pants. He wore nothing but that since then.

"I didn't," He said with a sly smile, waving his arm back and forth, "It's not mine." Ezio gaped at him.

"Yusuf..." His voice rose in anger. He was _tired _of this - Yusuf had become such a bother to him and the older recruits and distracted the younger ones from necessary training. No more of this. Time to end his little antics. Ezio opened his mouth scold him when Yusuf made the first move, hunching over suddenly a grabbing his leg. Ezio's expression softened.

"Are...are you alright?"

"_Hayır .._must've been the way I landed. Feels like a hurt it even more..." Ezio's mind immediately went back to what the doctor said. He cleared his throat.

"Yusuf, Ahmed told me earlier today that your leg isn't healing. He says you may never walk again..." Yusuf stared up at him for a minute.

"...I know."

"If you knew, then why do you keep up with this? Yusuf, you're needed back out there!"

"I know that, I'm just...I don't know, I guess I'm bored."

"You're...bored."

"_Evet_. I just need to be out there, Ezio. In the open world, with the rushing air and the birds singing their song! You strike me as a man whose seen a lot, I figured you'd understand."

Ezio did a double take. All this vaguely familiar...

* * *

><p>"Ezio, I simply <em>can't <em>stay indoors!"

Ezio only chuckled as he ushered Leonardo to bed. He gave up fighting Ezio off quite easily, letting the young man push him into bed.

"Leonardo, you're ill. I can't risk you going outside and getting worse. You can't be bed ridden when I still need your help." Leonardo pulled his covers on and settled himself into a comfortable position.

"But if you stay with me, you'll get sick too!" Ezio laughed again.

"A small price to pay to make my greatest friend well again." He sat at his bedside, handing him a bowl of hot soup. Leonardo smiled shyly. He took the bowl and drank while Ezio watched him.

"Mm."

"What?"

"Nothing, it's..." Leonardo set the bowl down at his night table, clearing his throat. "It's fine."

"You don't like the soup I made."

"No! No, I-" Ezio waved his hand.

"Ah, it's fine. Mother always said I was a terrible cook." Leonardo chuckled, stopping midway to cough. Ezio frowned, concerned. "I think you should get some rest anyway."

"Are you staying?" Ezio's smile returned.

"If you want me to."

"Well if you wouldn't mind, I have a client picking up a painting. It's on top of the pile by the front door. Could you give it to him when he comes by?"

"I have the time."

"And feed the birds outside?"

"Um. I suppose."

"And the cats."

"Okay, okay! And I thought my mother gave me many chores. Just promise me you'll sleep!"

"If it means I can go outside again. Honestly, I can't sit here...caged up like the birds I release every day..."

* * *

><p>"Ezio? <em>Ezio?<em>" The sound of Yusuf's voice brought him back to reality. He had dazed out, staring into the distance. He look back at Yusuf, who was giving him a look. "Are you alright? I don't want to worry about you now."

"Ah, I'm fine. I think I need to go."

"Ezio, wait-"

"Please, Yusuf - just, just sleep. We - _I _need you to get better. I know it's painful sitting around all day, but you have to understand it's for your own good."

"...Alright. I guess I could back off. It's just that you seem - "

Ezio had shut the door just as quickly as he had come in. "That was odd..."


End file.
